Iris
by Eiridian
Summary: "We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." -Dr. Seuss


Title song by The Goo Goo Dolls

* * *

 **Iris**

Bokuto Koutarou had been an odd child, everyone told him so. His eyes were a bright, unusual warm amber color from the moment they first opened to his mother's smiling face. He'd inherited his father's dusty silver hair that darkened as he aged, but when he was younger it had been as bright as a clear night's moon. Baby teeth had come in with little gaps between them and an easily excited tongue couldn't slow down long enough to properly enunciate words, giving Bokuto a jumbled lisp for years. Regardless, Bokuto had been a happy child who wanted to be everyone's friend, always with a giant smile and a story to babble on about.

Children could be brutal when it came to differences and things that they didn't understand, as Bokuto learned in elementary school. He was still outgrowing his lisp and certain words still came out sounding completely wrong if he wasn't careful, his big boy teeth were in the process of being corrected by braces, and his hair was in that weird transition phase of just being a wild silvery mess. He was still an adorable, upbeat little ray of sunshine who just wanted to be friends with everyone, but in the eyes of his classmates he was just a super weird little freak. The worst incident happened at the lunch table when Bokuto had offered to share some of his "apple slithes" and the entire table started laughing at him until he ran off crying.

Sitting alone during lunch, playing by himself during recess, and pretending like it didn't bother him when he was picked last for teams in gym class or science partners all started to wear down on Bokuto's heart and confidence. Eventually it became easier to stop trying and just withdraw into himself, keeping his head down and only speaking up when necessary as quietly as possible with the hope that they wouldn't notice his lisp. School was a special kind of hell for Bokuto that he endured with as little effort as he could, keeping his grades just above failing and spending his time not at school playing by himself in his backyard. His parents were worried about him and constantly told him that he could do better, that he should be more friendly with his classmates, and the like.

The funny thing about being told something enough times, even if it wasn't true, was that eventually you began to believe it. The other kids called him a freak until he began to see himself as such. His parents and teachers told him he was better than what he was putting forth, and while they surely meant it as motivation all Bokuto heard was that he wasn't good enough. No matter what he did, no matter how good it was despite his self-esteem having been crushed to dust, it wasn't enough.

Bokuto's current friends probably wouldn't believe it, but he had been a quiet, timid kid up until middle school. He was still a bit weird, he still had no friends, and he was still picked on but he had discovered volleyball in gym class and he was _good_. He was still shy, he was still uncomfortable interacting with people, but now he was in the volleyball club and he was a part of something.

Slowly, little by little, Bokuto's confidence started to rebuild itself. It didn't have the same purity as it used to, it was a bit louder and a bit more forced, but it was there and that was a start. The braces came off during the summer before high school, the lisp had mostly gone away except for when he was super tired, and as for his hair, Bokuto knew that he was never escaping it without hair dye so he might as well embrace its uniqueness. Several tubs of different hair styling products and many hours later, Bokuto found his new look.

High school was a nicer place, people were less judgemental and there were more crazy freaks for Bokuto to blend in with, most of whom were on the volleyball team with him. He was still just an average student when it came to his grades but at least he was no longer a social recluse. His new loud, sometimes obnoxious personality definitely got him noticed at the very least and it even got him some actual friends.

Bokuto met Kuroo Tetsurou during a practice match between their schools and they hit it off like a match and kerosene, much to their teams' horror. Kuroo was a bit like Bokuto in that he was a little quiet and shy underneath the outgoing facade that he put on. Due to his incredible intelligence, he'd always felt isolated from his peers since he was young and the two of them just seemed to gravitate towards each other. Their wild energies and antics fueled each other every time that they interacted, leaving chaos and destruction in their wake for their hapless teams to clean up.

For the first time in a very long time, Bokuto was genuinely happy to be around another person that he could just hang with and be ridiculously silly with. Although he never asked, Bokuto had a feeling that Kuroo felt the same relief and elation at having a friend who didn't care about parts of them that other people thought were oddities.

The day that Bokuto's life was irreversibly changed was a Thursday like any other. Bokuto's first year of high school was coming to an end and he had been in one of his favorite places in the world: the school gym in the middle of volleyball practice with his teammates around him. He had just gone in for a killer spike, whooping happily when it broke through the other side's defense, when he heard it.

"Wow." The softly spoken word filled with awe drew Bokuto's attention to the doorway where a boy dressed in a middle school's uniform was standing and staring at him with wide eyes. Messy black hair looked like it was made for running fingers through, light gray blue eyes the color of cool quicksilver looked like they held so much warmth, and a body honed by the volleyball court that was noticeable even through the uniform. That one word, spoken with so much admiration, sent Bokuto's heart racing as he gazed in wonderment at the walking beauty that graced him with his presence.

"Hi, can I help you?" Saito-san, the team captain, stepped off the court and caught the middle schooler's attention away from Bokuto.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to interrupt practice. I only meant to observe." The boy bowed deeply in apology, flustering Saito-san into taking a half step back. "My name is Akaashi Keiji, I started playing volleyball a few years ago and want to continue in high school. I know Fukurodani has a really good team and I just wanted to see for myself." The boy explained himself, fiddling nervously with his fingers and stealing Bokuto's heart.

"Ah." Saito smiled kindly. "Well, in that case, Akaashi-kun. Let me introduce you to the spiker that you were admiring. Akaashi-kun, this is Bokuto Koutarou." Blue eyes turned back towards Bokuto and he felt his heart leap into his throat.

"I hope to play with you someday, Bokuto-san."

And now Bokuto's heart was a puddle of mushy goo at Akaashi's feet.

* * *

If such a thing as exasperation at first sight existed, Bokuto was sure that Akaashi must have felt it the first time he came to practice. Bokuto was bouncing off the walls as per usual, Komi was near hysterics trying to untangle the improperly put away net, Washio was sitting on the floor refusing to move even with their manager trying to get him up, and Konoha was definitely trying to snap a couple of pictures as said manager bent over Washio. Akaashi just stood there for a long minute, his face a blank mask as he took a good look at his new team.

Bokuto was still hyped on energy, but he of course homed in on Akaashi the second he entered the gym and so didn't miss the deep inhale of breath before Akaashi strode forward with a no nonsense face. Stepping deliberately in Konoha's line of view on his way to Washio, Akaashi paused to kneel down and say something that Bokuto couldn't hear but it got Washio on his feet and moving. Next he moved on to help Komi untangle and set up the volleyball net, and finally he turned narrowed eyes on Bokuto.

"Bokuto-san, please calm down. I'd like to try tossing to you but I can't do that if you can't stand still." Bokuto had never stilled so fast. His teammates stared at him in shock as Akaashi's eyebrows raised a little in surprise. Even Bokuto himself was a little confused at his body's instant willingness to obey Akaashi's request.

Akaashi fit in seamlessly with the team, he was the pinprick of cool calm in a storm of crazy and he was exactly what they needed. He was already a really good setter and was progressively getting better each day. He listened to every word of advice his senpais had to give and stayed behind after practice to work on his own. Well, he stayed behind with Bokuto since the silver haired senior had attached to his hip since day one.

It was unspoken but unanimous within the team that Akaashi was Bokuto's keeper. Akaashi was the only one that Bokuto would listen to, was the only one that could ground him, and he took it all in stride without ever questioning it. Akaashi would always tolerate and, when necessary, temper Bokuto's antics with that less than amused and put upon expression. Despite Akaashi's near permanent exasperation, it would always melt away into a moment of awe when they were on the court together.

Bokuto was always afraid that Akaashi was disappointed in him, as he knew how much of a handful he was and Akaashi probably never expected him to be like this when he first saw him during that one practice. He felt bad because he really liked Akaashi and he really wanted Akaashi to like him, but he was so deep into his new personality that he couldn't stop and everything that he did or said just came off as ridiculous or obnoxious. Apparently, Bokuto had no in between, he was either a quiet little social recluse or he was that guy who didn't have an off switch.

The moment that Bokuto needed to change his relationship with Akaashi from simple teammates to actual friends happened one day after an early morning practice. Bokuto had been in charge of putting their equipment away and putting the gym back in order, which made it so that he was the last person to hit the locker room. Everyone else had already changed and headed off to class but one straggler was still there, already in his school uniform with most of his shirt buttons done up and tie hanging loose around his neck as he sat on one of the wooden benches.

Bright amber locked with gunmetal blue as Bokuto stopped short and Akaashi froze, one hand holding an eyeliner pen halfway to his face as the other hand, holding a small mirror, slowly lowered. Akaashi was blinking slowly as he regarded his senpai, almost as if he was deciding between being embarrassed and challenging Bokuto to comment. Taking the decision out of Akaashi's hands, Bokuto moved his feet forward before straddling the bench, elbows on his thighs and chin in his hands, all without taking his eyes off of Akaashi.

"I've always wanted to try eyeliner but I'm pretty sure I'd stab an eye out if I attempted to do it myself." He commented conversationally, his voice its normal tone without shots of enthusiasm being injected into it.

Akaashi blinked a few more times before his guarded expression melted into a small smile. Setting his mirror down before reaching out to gently guide Bokuto's chin, startling the older teen a little at the easy skin contact, Akaashi scooted closer before setting to work.

As it turns out, Akaashi's gray blue eyes looked stunning rimmed in a thin line of black and Bokuto looked pretty damn smokin' as well. He liked his eyes so much, in fact, that he started randomly seeking Akaashi out to do his eyes. He'd track Akaashi down in his classroom, hallways, lunchroom, and on one memorable occasion, the bathroom. It got to the point where Akaashi bought Bokuto his own eyeliner. Bokuto still made Akaashi help him apply it, but at least he was no longer dipping into Akaashi's supply.

After getting yelled out of a bathroom for bursting in while Akaashi had his pants down there was really nothing preventing them from being open with each other about most everything, which lead to them hanging out every now and then. The first time that they interacted outside of school, Bokuto had tempted Akaashi with a new fighting game that had just been released.

Akaashi had stared at Bokuto's puppy dog eyes for a minute after being extended the invitation, he even tilted his head a little as he contemplated the offer. Although he was his normal excited self on the outside, Bokuto's heart was racing after having put himself out there for Akaashi to potentially shoot down but the playful smirk from his kouhai calmed his nerves.

"Don't start crying when I beat your ass."

Bokuto actually was sorely tempted to throw a tantrum after getting his ass handed to him repeatedly. He was good at fighting games, but apparently Akaashi was a god who cackled and trash talked when he really got into it. Admittedly, half of Bokuto's knockouts were due to him being too distracted by the glee in Akaashi's eyes, the way he leaned progressively closer to the TV, and the way that his school shirt was untucked with sleeves rolled up and top buttons undone. It was worth it, though, and Bokuto was enjoying every second of it.

Bokuto's mom would periodically check in to see if the boys needed more drinks or snacks and Akaashi would revert to his usual polite demeanor as he smiled up at her from where they were sitting on the floor. It was obvious that Bokuto's mom was as smitten as Bokuto himself had been, and she was almost more excited than he was about him bringing a friend home. Bokuto never invited anyone over other than Kuroo on a few rare occasions.

Speaking of Kuroo…

"Kurooooooo!"

"Bokutooooo!"

The two friends greeted each other by sprinting across the gym for a bone jarring chest bump the second Nekoma's team arrived for their practice match. Laughing like idiots as they rubbed their chests, Bokuto glanced back to see abject horror all over Akaashi's face as he muttered to no one in particular a very flat, "there's two of them…"

Bokuto was eager to introduce the two of them, bodily dragging a very hesitant Akaashi over to Kuroo. Despite leveling Kuroo with a very distrustful look that never really left his eyes whenever he saw Kuroo, even years later, Akaashi was still as well mannered as ever towards "Kuro-san." Bokuto could almost hear the air quotes at times. Somehow the conversation turned to books and that's where Akaashi and Kuroo hit it off, going on and on about their favorite novels and authors and Bokuto was officially lost.

As the game got set up and Bokuto felt the urge to start pouting, he felt the warm press of a hand between his shoulders and caught Akaashi's small, reassuring smile out of the corner of his eye and perked back up. Kuroo was shooting him a knowing look from the other side of the net but Bokuto chose to ignore it.

Kuroo also had a new addition to his team, a setter just like Akaashi and Kuroo's childhood friend. Kenma was quiet, a little awkward, a little shy, and strangely reluctant to part from his video games. Kuroo had to physically drag Kenma onto the court and position him in order to get him to play. He was a very good setter, but it didn't seem like his heart was really in it or like he really had any motivation. All of Nekoma's team seemed patiently understanding and supportive, but Bokuto caught the slightly worried looks Kuroo sent him when he wasn't looking.

In between sets while everyone was rehydrating, Akaashi went over to sit where Kenma was off to the side with PSP in hand. The two of them chatted for a while as easily as old friends, even Kenma seemed to be contributing to the conversation, and Bokuto's jealousy was spiking again. Bokuto's chest was heating up when Akaashi glanced up and shot him that tiny quirk of a smile and his heart was turned into gooey mush again. Bokuto was pretty sure Kuroo rolled his eyes at him sometime during that interaction.

Bokuto couldn't hear what the two talked about and Akaashi never told him even when he whined, but when the next set began both setters got up and walked onto the court together without any fuss from Kenma and without any intervention from Kuroo. All of Nekoma stared at Akaashi in wide eyed amazement as he calmly joined his team and from that day onwards always treated him with the utmost respect.

Both Kuroo and Kenma got Akaashi's number before leaving for home, much to Bokuto's displeasure, and a few hours later Bokuto got a text from Kuroo that simply said, "he's out of your league."

Bokuto replied with a middle finger emoji.

* * *

With competition season just around the corner, Fukurodani's volleyball club was on their way to their annual training camp and Bokuto was already driving people crazy. He had been repeatedly yelled at by their coach to sit his butt down and stop yelling until eventually he was moved between Akaashi and a window. For as much as he wanted to complain over getting put into time out, Bokuto now got Akaashi's undivided attention even if it was a disapproving side eyed glare. With earbuds in and a boring looking book in hand, Akaashi did not like the expectant look plastered on Bokuto's eager face.

Something must have told Akaashi to prepare for a situation like this because he reached into his bag and handed Bokuto a manga that they'd previously had an in depth discussion about before settling back into his book. Placated and distracted, Bokuto happily snuggled his back into Akaashi's side and propped his knees up against the window. The rest of the team sighed in relief as unusual quiet settled upon the bus and idle chatter resumed.

There were a lot of ups and downs during their days at training camp as Bokuto oscillated between being team motivator and cheerleader and succumbing to his bouts of drama that left him a moody lump on the floor. There were exactly twelve different inflections that Akaashi applied to "Bokuto-san" during their camp, each a varying degree of dry and exasperated. Akaashi also learned and perfected three different ways of getting Bokuto's sulking ass off of the floor.

The team trained hard in sun and rain, threw volleyballs around until their arms and knees were sore and bruised, and fell together into an exhausted pile in the evenings. Bokuto loved it, spending so much time with his team playing volleyball, and it seemed like Akaashi was enjoying it as well even with his extra duties as Bokuto's babysitter. Bokuto did try to behave himself, if only to try and make Akaashi's eye twitch less, but it didn't always work. Early mornings and late evenings, when the rest of the team was either still passed out or preparing to pass out, were different.

On their first morning at camp Akaashi had jolted in surprise when a pair of sneakers entered his unfocused vision. He'd been half asleep sitting on the front stairs of the inn trying to tie his shoes in the pale sunlight when Bokuto had stepped up beside him with a cheerful grin. Akaashi had offered up a sleepy smile before standing up as well and the two of them went off for an early morning jog in amicable silence.

That night after all the seniors had bathed and it was finally the first years' turn, Akaashi had taken his time to wash his body and relax tired muscles while Bokuto wrecked havoc with his fellow second years in their sleeping room. After his bath Akaashi had taken one look at the chaos of a bunch of teenagers away from home with their friends and decided to keep on walking. The warm humidity of the night wrapped around Akaashi's bath pliant body as he sat down at the doorway, the sound of cicadas nearly enough to drown out the sound of laughter and shouting behind him.

"I'm sorry we're a handful." Bokuto's voice was genuinely apologetic as Akaashi felt his presence join him on the back wraparound.

"Nah, I'm happy that everyone is enjoying themselves so much." Akaashi smiled into the dark, his body relaxed into the door frame beside him. Bokuto sat down beside him, leaning into the other side of the entryway, and Akaashi couldn't stop the double take.

Bokuto's hair was still damp from his bath but what caught Akaashi off guard was the fact that it was falling naturally to gravity's force, silver tips brushing the top of Bokuto's ears and eyelashes that framed curious amber eyes. Akaashi was staring, Bokuto was staring back, and Akaashi had to scramble to cover up the blush threatening to light up his cheeks.

"You need to properly dry your hair, Bokuto-san." Defaulting back into mother mode, Akaashi pulled the towel draped around his neck and swiftly dropped it over his senpai's head before gently massaging it over damp silver. The action both distracted Akaashi's mind and forced Bokuto's head to tilt downwards so it was a success all around as far as Akaashi hiding his blush was concerned.

"You're such a patient mother, Akaashi." The warm humor in Bokuto's voice was a bit muffled by the towel, but it still made Akaashi smile.

"Call it repentance for being such a problem child." Warm, lightly callused hands wrapped around Akaashi's wrists to still his movements as a surprised eye peeked out from underneath the towel.

"You?" The utter disbelief in Bokuto's voice made Akaashi lightly bite at the corner of his lip to stifle the laugh bubbling in his chest.

"As hard as it may be to believe, I was that difficult angry kid who always acted out." Akaashi admitted with a wry grin. "Thankfully, I mellowed down around middle school after I got into volleyball."

"I used to be shy." Bokuto blurted out in response, startling himself into releasing his hold on Akaashi's wrists. Akaashi's lips relaxed back into a soft smile as he resumed toweling Bokuto's hair.

"I figured."

Bokuto's hands dropped into his lap as he bowed his head, leaning into the hands that were rubbing all the right spots on his head that made him want to purr. "I was an awkward kid with a lisp and weird hair. I got teased and even tried dying my hair a normal color once but, as you can see, it didn't really stick." He gestured vaguely to his black roots that turned into his natural silver. Speaking of his lisp, Akaashi was turning him into such a content pile of mush that it was starting to tinge his voice.

"I love your hair." Akaashi whispered as he moved the towel so that he could run his fingers through Bokuto's hair to gauge its dryness. As the towel fell away and Akaashi was met with a pair of wide amber eyes shining with gathering moisture, it was the first time that he lost his breath looking at Bokuto when they were off of the volleyball court. "It's unique, just like you. I couldn't imagine it any different."

Strong arms were suddenly around Akaashi and pulling him tight into a broad chest that smelled like clean aloe soap. Bokuto was hugging him, and it was the warmest, comfiest hug that Akaashi had ever received so of course he had no choice but to hug back.

That's how their days at training camp went. In the morning they'd drag themselves awake at the crack of dawn to go for a jog together, train with their teammates during the day while Akaashi put out fires, and at night they'd sit outside together and just talk. For Bokuto it was the best few days of his life and he was actually sad when it was time to pack up and head home for reasons not involving volleyball, even his hair was a bit wilted even with his normal product in it.

Everyone was worn out from their days of training and quickly dropped off to sleep one by one on the ride home. Even Bokuto's boundless energy was waning as he struggled to keep his eyes from fluttering closed and his head off of the window. Slim, setter's fingers slipping an earbud into his right ear brought his awareness back as soft classical music filled his senses.

"I don't like sleeping with both earbuds in." Akaashi's voice was fuzzy as he snuggled into Bokuto's side and rested his head on a vacant shoulder without even asking. A second later and Akaashi's body had relaxed into sleep.

Deciding that the window didn't look so appealing anymore, Bokuto rested his head instead on top of Akaashi's and followed his friend into sleep.

* * *

It was their first big competition of the year and the venue was crowded with excited spectators and teams alike even at the early hour. The air was filled with noise as people entered the arena and the energy in the air was nearly palpable. The elevated stimulus of the environment had Bokuto vibrating from barely contained excitement. He loved absolutely everything about the competitive environment, the tension, the nerves, the shouts and cheering, it all flowed through him to hype him up like no other.

"Akaashi!" Bokuto was using his put upon kouhai's shoulder for balance as he bounced with every step. "Are you excited? Are you ready?! Nervous? I know this is your first competition as a high schooler but no need to be worried, your reliable senpai is here for you!"

"Bokuto-san…" Akaashi huffed in annoyance as he rubbed his assaulted ear. "There's no need to shout when I'm right here."

"There, there, it's okay, Akaashi. Nerves are normal! You just gotta focus on the ball, drown out the hundreds of people cheering for you, and believe in your teammates. We're gonna crush them with our superior skills and strategy and then we'll go to regionals, nationals, and someday the world! I'm getting carried away though, first we should get you to the actual court before we worry about-" Looking up from his rambling, Bokuto was suddenly standing alone in the middle of the crowds streaming into the arena with his teammates nowhere in sight. "Dang it."

Just as Bokuto was settling into a good long pout after the initial panic, the acute kind that every kid experiences when they lose sight of their mother at the grocery store, a hand closed around his and gave a firm tug. Bokuto was suddenly being pulled along through the crowds of people by a very irritated Akaashi, who somehow kept an iron grip on Bokuto's hand while expertly weaving them through the small gaps between people.

"Honestly, Bokuto-san, how is it that I literally can't take my eyes off of you for one second?" Akaashi actually sounded a little ticked, but Bokuto was too relieved and happy about being found to care.

"I'm just that good looking, Akaashi." The withering glare that Akaashi threw over his shoulder sobered the cheeky grin on Bokuto's face to a smaller, sweeter version as he squeezed Akaashi's hand. "Don't lose me, okay?"

"Wasn't planning on it." Akaashi scoffed as they finally entered the arena.

They caught up with their team and found their locker room to change and prepare in. As everyone got into uniform their coach went over last minute tactics before their captain stepped up to deliver an uplifting pre-game speech that was only half listened to. Bokuto sat through it all, knees bouncing uncontrollably and shaking the bench that no one but Akaashi would share with him. Speaking of Akaashi, he seemed to be paying even less attention to their captain than Bokuto was and didn't appear to even notice the erratic vibrating of the bench beneath him. His eyes were staring unseeingly at his fingers as they unconsciously twined and fiddled with each other.

"Bokuto-san?" Abruptly aware of his teammates moving around him again, Bokuto realized that he'd been staring so intently at Akaashi that he completely missed the ending of his captain's speech. Akaashi was now looking up at Bokuto, the normal unshakeable calm in his eyes more tumultuous than Bokuto had seen before. "Do you mind taping my fingers? They're still a bit sore from practice." Akaashi was unusually quiet as he averted his eyes back to his fingers, a roll of tape having appeared between them and he flipped it from palm to palm.

"Of course." Bokuto would normally be jumping all over his teammates right now, eager to get out on the court to start warming up, but this time he stayed where he was as everyone filed out of the locker room shooting him bewildered glances as they passed.

Taking the tape from Akaashi and scooting closer, Bokuto began to expertly wrap the white adhesive snugly but not tightly around the two fingers on Akaashi's right hand that he knew had been bothering the setter for a few days after a toss that had gone wonky. Only when he was holding Akaashi's hand still to wrap it could Bokuto feel the tiny tremors in the normally steady digits. Task completed just as the locker room emptied, the roll of tape was set down between them but Bokuto refused to let go of Akaashi's hand until questioning blue eyes met his again.

"You're going to be amazing." Bokuto said simply, his serious expression that held throughout wrapping Akaashi's hand melting back into his carefree grin as he stood and pulled Akaashi up with him.

The roar of the crowd was nearly deafening as they entered the gym area where teams were running around warming up. The lights, the noise, and the blur of colors were all so overwhelming to someone who wasn't expecting it and although Bokuto absolutely thrived off of it all, Akaashi stopped short just inside the doors while a look of uncertainty washed over him. Keeping a hand pressed against the middle of Akaashi's back, Bokuto kept them moving forward as they joined the group of black and white.

Energetic shouts mingled together as the team fired each other up and ran through their warm up drills, Bokuto happily joining in while always keeping an eye on Akaashi. Once he was among his teammates and had a volleyball in hand he seemed to calm down considerably, which made Bokuto smile. A sharp whistle signaled the end of warm up time and the starting members lined up at the net to face their first opponents.

As they spread out on the court into their positions and Akaashi headed towards the boundary line, Bokuto furrowed his brows in worry when he noticed Akaashi fiddling with his fingers again. Fukurodani's burgeoning ace raised a hand for the ref to toss him the ball that they would be using before walking over to their setter. Placing the ball in Akaashi's hands was an effective way of stopping his nervous habit and as Akaashi wrapped his fingers around the warm leather he let his eyes close as he took a deep, calming breath.

"Thank you, Bokuto-san." The easy confidence was back in Akaashi's eyes, which comforted Bokuto more than he ever thought a person's emotions could. With a smile and an encouraging nod, Bokuto jogged back to his position.

"Give us a nice serve, Akaashi!"

* * *

The new school year rolled around, Bokuto became captain of the volleyball club (both to Akaashi's pride and unspeakable horror) and it was pretty unanimous after that to make Akaashi vice-captain, both to keep Bokuto in check and because he was the natural mothering type. Bokuto was the team's drive and motivation, Akaashi took care of the boring stuff like gym booking, member recruitment, team well being, etc. They made a good pair and somehow managed to balance each other out and keep the team going without Akaashi strangling the life out of Bokuto even though he was often tempted.

Bokuto, to Akaashi's surprise, was actually a very responsible captain. He was very involved with the recruitment process of their new members, was shockingly patient with teaching new techniques, and he was a role model for the first years that even Akaashi approved of. Bokuto, if nothing else, was passionate and he was eager to share that with his new teammates while Akaashi stood back and watched. He still had his moments of dramatic melancholy that Akaashi had to pull him out of, of course, but it felt like being in a position of responsibility had matured him a bit.

"I'm so stupid!" Bokuto wailed as he flung several papers into the air and let them fall haphazardly to the ground as Akaashi watched with a deadpan look in his eyes. Apparently Bokuto's newfound maturity only applied to volleyball.

"You are not stupid, Bokuto-san. You need to stop telling yourself that you are." Akaashi admonished as he stood from his chair across the table from Bokuto with a heavy sigh. Leaving his own study material where it was, he took his time gathering Bokuto's papers off of the floor before straightening back up and staring judgementally at the back of his senpai's head, the only part that could be seen since his face had been dropped onto an open math book.

Pulling out the chair beside Bokuto's, Akaashi sat himself down along with the retrieved papers before grabbing the back of Bokuto's school shirt and pulling him off the table. With his no nonsense attitude firmly in place, right where it usually was when dealing with Bokuto, Akaashi spread out the papers with various math problems on them and pulled the textbook closer.

"You're probably overcomplicating it. Math is like volleyball, there are certain set equations for everything just like there are certain strategies that every volleyball team uses. You memorize them, learn to recognize when they're supposed to be used, and from there it's easy. Here, let's start with this one."

Bokuto would never know just how little patience Akaashi truly had when dealing with other people, not when Akaashi would spend hours in the library with him after school to help him understand his schoolwork that he'd never liked. With Bokuto, Akaashi had the patience of a saint as he was determined to teach Bokuto his least favorite subject, even putting aside his own homework to finish at night. The exuberant shouting that could be heard hallways away, the indignant yells of people being shoved out of the way, and the tackle hug that knocked all the wind out of Akaashi's chest after Bokuto got an 83 on his math test made it more than worth it.

* * *

 _Hey, since you sat through studying for tests with me, you wanna go to the festival today? Have some fun?_

Bokuto had to read the text a couple of times as his eyes just did not want to open before noon on a Saturday. Once he did comprehend the text, however, he was up like a rocket and diving headfirst into his closet. He got ready so fast that it was all a blur that resulted in clothes all over his bedroom floor and a mess in the bathroom.

"Hey, mom, I'm going out for the day-ay… hi." He'd stumbled into the kitchen, wrestling his shirt over his head, before blinking in disbelief at Akaashi sitting at his kitchen table with his mom drinking tea and chatting like old friends. Mirth was sparkling in silvery blue eyes as Akaashi blinked innocently back at him. "Uh, why…?"

"Like you were gonna say no." Oh, and didn't that confidence look sexy as hell on Akaashi, along with that leather choker necklace and black v-neck and thigh hugging jeans and… Bokuto was staring and his mom was giving him this knowing look too irritatingly similar to Kuroo's and he had to get Akaashi _out_ of that kitchen.

"Aw, come on, Bokuto-san. Stop pouting." Akaashi grinned, playfully bumping into Bokuto's shoulder as they walked to the festival grounds. "Your mom and I chat about random stuff while you mess with your hair all the time. At least we don't gossip about you like Kuroo-san and I do."

Bokuto wanted to be offended, he really did, but Akaashi's cheeky smile made it difficult. Akaashi was different outside of school and volleyball, he was more laid back, more playful, and Bokuto loved seeing him like that. Outside of school Akaashi didn't have to be the serious, responsible one and Bokuto didn't have to be the overly outgoing one. Akaashi could be a little more silly, Bokuto could be a little more shy, and Bokuto loved that they could just be themselves with each other.

They joked, teased, and chatted their way to the pop up festival that came around every year at the first hint of a chill in the air. At just past noon the grounds were already alive with families taking advantage of the weekend. Game stalls were filled with the gleeful laughter of children and the competitive shouts of teenagers, food stalls were wafting enticing smells that made mouths water, craft stalls were hawking their wares, and demonstration stalls were attracting groups of curious bystanders. It was the kind of energy that both Bokuto and Akaashi enjoyed being around.

There was no rush as they wandered among the food stalls in search of lunch, Bokuto jumping on nearly everything while Akaashi followed indulgently behind. After stuffing themselves on everything that could be skewered, rolled into a ball and fried, or turned into a noodle, Bokuto was drowsily draped over Akaashi's shoulders as he checked out a calligraphy demonstration. Bokuto didn't much care for all the artsy cultural stuff, but Akaashi did and he was willing to let Bokuto be clingy all he wanted if he let Akaashi be nerdy for a bit.

Once the food coma wore off and Bokuto woke back up he pulled Akaashi away from some lame embroidery thing to go check out the crafts. Forcing Akaashi into matching woven bracelets ("competition season is coming and red is supposed to be good luck!") and backpack charms ("they have our numbers on them!") and one particularly colorful scarf ("you lost yours last winter, I'm just looking out for you!"), by the time dusk began to fall Bokuto was finally satisfied. He was so happily chattering on about nonsense as he wandered off to the games that he missed the tiny smile that broke through the stoic mask that Akaashi had stuck on while Bokuto had been bouncing from stall to stall. He also missed the gentle way Akaashi fingered the bracelet on his wrist that matched the one on Bokuto's.

At Bokuto's insistence they started at the goldfish booth, and then Akaashi insisted that they give all the fish they caught to the wide eyed kids watching in awe as they caught fish after fish. The yoyo fishing was a bit messier as yoyos dropping back into the water prompted a bit of a splash war between the two of them that only stopped when Akaashi noticed the disapproving glare from the old lady running the booth. Akaashi had worn that glare enough times to be a little ashamed that he'd caused it, but the muffled giggles coming out of Bokuto's mouth as he pulled his damp shirt away from his chest made it better.

As they continued walking past game booths, Akaashi's eyes caught sight of a giant, fluffy, white-gray stuffed owl hanging on the prize wall for a shooting game. Bokuto noticed the falter in Akaashi's steps and stopped to curiously follow his friend's gaze. An excited gasp and frantic gabbing of Akaashi's arm told him that he'd made a grave mistake.

"Akaashi…!" Bokuto was gasping like a fish out of water he was so worked up.

"Bokuto-san," Akaashi tried his most calm voice of reason. "What would you even do with-" and Bokuto was already making a beeline for the booth with money in hand.

Following at a much slower pace, Akaashi came to Bokuto's side as he was adjusting his hold on the rifle and taking aim. The targets were tiny and at least ten feet away, even Akaashi with his needlepoint concentration and steady hands never had luck in this game. Crossing his arms in preparation for a moody disaster, Akaashi's eyebrows quirked upwards as Bokuto's first cork bullet hit its mark. The second ping of cork hitting metal made Akaashi dart his gaze over to Bokuto, who was the picture of calm determination as his unwavering eyes locked onto their next target.

Two more shots hitting their targets left Akaashi's arms hanging at his sides as he stared at the lone target left standing with absolutely no breath in his lungs. As the fifth and final bullet knocked the last target down both Akaashi and the guy running the booth turned to gape at a very smug looking Bokuto.

"These guns aren't just for show, ya know." Bokuto smirked at Akaashi as he flexed his muscles. Some kind of strangled sound of disbelief escaped Akaashi as he watched Bokuto trade his rifle for the giant fluffy owl that was then pushed into Akaashi's chest. "For helping me with math." Bokuto explained with a smile as Akaashi stared in bewilderment at the owl now in his arms.

"Oh my god, Bokuto-san." When he finally found it, his voice was filled with exasperated disbelief but Akaashi was firmly biting the corner of his bottom lip to keep his giant smile of pure childish glee in check as he cuddled the stuffed owl close.

The stuffed owl was nearly half of Akaashi's height, big enough around that Akaashi had to wrap both arms around it to be comfortable, and not even nuzzling into the light gray fluff could hide the pink blush dusting Akaashi's cheeks. Bokuto's heart was doing something funny as he stared at his best friend. It wasn't the usual warm gooey feeling this time, but rather a sharp pang that centered on his heart and made his chest seize tight as he lost feeling in his tingling fingertips. It felt like all the acute pain he'd ever felt throughout his entire body flared up right in his heart before spreading a dull ache to its surrounding areas.

Pulling Akaashi and his owl into a tight hug, despite alarmed muffled protests, was the only thing that could chase the pain away.

* * *

"Thank you, by the way, for inviting me out here today." Bokuto was saying a while later as they sat on a grassy hill waiting for the fireworks. "I was really not looking forward to reading about universities all day."

"You nervous?" Akaashi asked as he idly flapped his owl's wings, the stuffed creature securely nestled in the space between his crossed legs.

"Terrified." Bokuto admitted as he leaned his elbows onto his knees, staring down at the lit up festival booths beneath them. "I've never been away from home and I'm kind of nervous about leaving. There's all this pressure to find the right school but I also have to think about which schools I can realistically get into. I'm also really, really afraid that I won't be able to make friends… I don't want to be alone again…" His voice was so quietly sad as he hid his eyes from Akaashi's in the convenient dark. A drawn out breath later and Bokuto pulled himself out of his moment of weakness before Akaashi could figure out how to. "I know I can't put off choosing a school for too long, though. Gotta have a test score to aim for, ya know?" The forced cheerfulness in Bokuto's voice broke Akaashi's heart.

Lacking words, Akaashi could only make a soft noise of agreement as he kept his eyes pensively on the stuff owl sitting in his lap. "I'm kind of nervous about it, too, even though I have another year." He confessed as he smiled self-consciously before looking up. "I don't think you have anything to be worried about, though. You still have me. We'll find you the right school, I can help you study for exams, and with your personality I'm sure you'll make plenty of friends. You're never going to be alone again, Bokuto-san, I promise. You just need to believe." Struck by sudden inspiration, Akaashi lifted his owl up to wave at his companion. "Bokhooto believes in you."

Bokuto burst out laughing. It was a full body, gut aching, tear inducing laugh that made him struggle to stay upright. Akaashi looked sheepish over the lame pun as he hid behind Bokhooto (Bokuto was officially naming him that), but it served its purpose as the serious, gloomy air instantly evaporated.

"Oh, god, I needed that. Thanks, Akaashi." Bokuto wiped his eyes, his cheeks hurting from laughing so hard. Taking several deep breaths to calm himself down, Bokuto gave his owl counterpart an affectionate pat. "You know, sometimes I wish I had a time machine so I could go back and tell that awkward little kid with no friends that he didn't need to cry anymore. I wish I could tell him that everything will someday be alright because he'll have you for a best friend."

Oh. Bokuto had never seen that expression on Akaashi before. The glow from the festival lights below was only partially illuminating Akaashi's face but the surprise mixed with a number of other emotions was clearly visible in the widened blue eyes staring uncertainly back at him. Akaashi slowly parted his lips, visibly trying to piece together what he wanted to say, but his attention was diverted by a loud boom breaking the silence. As color burst momentarily into existence against the night before fading away, Akaashi and Bokuto sat beside each other and gazed up as their thoughts wandered.

When Akaashi snuck himself into Bokuto's side and his head on Bokuto's chest that painful twinge in Bokuto's heart came back with a vengeance. While Akaashi cuddled Bokhooto and Bokuto (subtly) cuddled Akaashi, Bokuto had to wonder which was louder; the fireworks or his heart.

* * *

There are days that just go wrong from the moment you open your eyes that make you repeatedly wish that you had just stayed in bed. Waking up nearly an hour late and jumping out of bed in a panic only to get tripped up by tangled blankets and face-planting were all a pretty good indications that it was going to be one of those days. Bokuto's face was in pain, he had run out of toothpaste, his hair product was MIA, and he barely had time to get dressed never mind actually grab breakfast.

So he sprinted to school on an empty stomach with flat ass hair and clothes barely properly placed on his body but he somehow stumbled into the gym like a drunk elephant only five minutes late for morning practice. It was barely seven in the morning with a whole lot of day left to get through and Bokuto already wanted to curl up in a corner and throw himself a pity party. He was doubled over with a stitch in his side the size of Texas as he tried to catch some breath, all the while wondering why he hadn't just stayed in bed. Then suddenly there was Akaashi.

A granola bar was placed in the hand not clutching at his side, hands were all up in his hair working product through it and styling it up in its usual fashion, and how did Akaashi even know what kind of hair product he used? There was no way he just randomly kept a jar of it in his locker for days like this… right? Muddling past all of that, Bokuto realized that his favorite head banging classic rock was filling the gym as his teammates warmed up with laps around the gym. Bokuto somehow just knew that it was Akaashi's phone playing _their_ playlist through the boom box that was housed in the gym.

It had started the first time they studied together and Akaashi had confessed that he focused best with background noise. Akaashi's go to was rap, on a bad day he liked techno, under stress or fatigue it was classical, and his guilty pleasure was country music. Akaashi was not a pop guy, pop was more Bokuto's thing thanks to that damn Seijou captain, but the first time a Backstreet Boys song came on the radio that guy belted out every single word with his eyes locked challengingly on Bokuto's as the older teen was torn between shock and hysterical laughter. They were both into classic rock and put it on most of the time they were together and needed music.

Therefore, their playlist was a mix of their music tastes and hearing the familiar songs now was putting a smile on Bokuto's face that he hadn't thought would make an appearance anytime soon that day.

"Eat and join us when you're ready." Akaashi ordered as he finished Bokuto's hair, a proud self-satisfied smile ghosting over his lips and he admired his work. Giving his captain's cheek an encouraging pat, Akaashi then turned around to lead the team into drills.

Sitting down right where he was in a bit of a shock, Bokuto obediently unwrapped his granola bar and began eating as drills happened around him. His hair was somehow off of his forehead, his angry stomach was being placated, AC/DC was blasting throughout the gym, and the only logical explanation for it all was that Akaashi was an angel that Bokuto had somehow been blessed with. Laughing at the absurdity of his mind, Bokuto chomped down the rest of his breakfast before jumping up with an energized shout and diving into practice.

Despite the way his morning started, morning practice went off without a hitch for Bokuto and he was having one of the best mornings ever. It was all going great until it got better. Everyone was changing into their school uniforms when Bokuto remembered that he'd left his street shoes out in the gym. Scooting back into the gym mostly clothed and just in his socks, it didn't take long for Bokuto to realize that the floor was actually very slippery with no shoes on.

Momentum was a bitch when there was literally nothing to stop it except for the cart of volleyballs that was quickly becoming a collision concern. The running start out of the locker room was not helping, the super soft socks were not helping, windmilling his arms in a sad attempt to stop was not helping, and the unholy screeching coming out of his mouth over Fall Out Boy's _Sugar We're Going Down_ was definitely not helping. Grabbing onto the rim of the cart before it could slam into his midriff, Bokuto was reminded of the fact that the cart had wheels as it started to roll forward at the same time that it slowly began to tip towards him. In comical slow motion, the lack of traction on his feet teamed up with those damned wheels to send him flat on his back as dozens of volleyballs rained down on him.

Through the pain of the impact and his severely bruised ego, Bokuto suddenly registered the sound of a high pitched, squeaky sound that he thought might be a laugh but could also be a hamster being murdered. Stuttering and gasping, the sound only intensified as Bokuto struggled to extricate himself from the mountain of volleyballs. Finally getting his upper body free so that he could wobbly sit up, amber eyes widened in shock as Bokuto pinpointed the source of the sound.

Akaashi was still in his practice clothes, the volleyball net half taken down but left abandoned on the floor where he'd dropped it, and he was currently doubled over with laughter wracking his body. Bokuto could only stare in wonder as Akaashi fought to control his rampant laughing that just did not seem to want to cease. Not once in the year and a half that they'd been friends had Bokuto ever heard Akaashi laugh, the younger teen having always maintained a straight face whenever Bokuto had done something silly that cracked everyone else up. At most, the closest Akaashi had ever come to laughing in front of Bokuto was that sweet little lip biting that he did whenever Bokuto did something particularly crazy.

Now, however, Akaashi was on the floor laughing like a deranged baby hyena and Bokuto didn't know how to handle it or that painful squeezing in his chest.

"Jesus christ, Bokuto-san, why are you so inelegant?" Coming from the guy laid out on his back like a starfish wiping tears from his eyes, that was a bit rich. "God, I hate my laugh." Akaashi groaned as his laughter finally died and left behind raging embarrassment that made him throw an arm over his eyes to hide under.

"I love your laugh." Akaashi stiffened before slowly turning his head to shoot Bokuto, still under volleyballs with a goofy smile on his face, a very emphatic disbelieving glare. "No, really. It's unique, just like you."

Akaashi stared for a few more blinks before turning his face back towards the ceiling with a tiny giggle as he drew his knees towards his chest and his hands up to tangle in his hair. Rolling forward and jumping up with more bounce than usual, Akaashi came towards Bokuto's mess to help free him.

"Let's get you out from under-"

"Akaashi!" Bokuto's loud exclamation upon hearing the song change made Akaashi jump and nearly drop the volleyball he'd been picking up. "Why is Taylor Swift on our playlist?!"

"Well, it's _our_ playlist, so…" That cheeky grin that usually only appeared outside of school and the twinkling mischief in Akaashi's eyes were the only warning Bokuto got.

"Don't even think about-"

"Our song is the slam of screen doors, sneaking out late tapping on your window." Grabbing Bokuto's hands, Akaashi yanked him to his feet with a face splitting grin as volleyballs went rolling. "When we're on the phone and you talk real slow…" Akaashi spun them around in a circle as he sang, shooting Bokuto a hopeful puppy eyed look that he'd never been able to resist.

"'Cause it's late and your mama don't know!"

They teasingly sang the rest of the song to each other as they put away their practice equipment, pausing every so often as one of them started laughing at the two of them acting like teenagers in love. As that familiar pain in Bokuto's chest refused to dissipate, he wasn't so sure that that's not exactly what they were.

* * *

Fukurodani's volleyball club made it to Nationals that year and clawed their vicious way through several grueling matches to make it to the finals. They were a tenaciously strong team, injuries and fatigue not being allowed to slow them down, but they were up against an equally formidable team. Forcing the match all the way to the fifth set, everyone around Bokuto was exhausted and clenching stubbornly to their waning strength as the fire in their eyes burned hotter than ever. Fukurodani was down by five while the other team was at match point, leaving absolutely no room for error.

Gulping down water during their last time out, sharp amber eyes remained glued to the scoreboard as Bokuto's mind raced through every single possibly play they could make and the outcomes that would result from them. Muttering under his breath as he mentally ran through scenario after scenario, Bokuto was so uncharacteristically focused that the hand landing on his shoulder caused him to jump and slosh water everywhere. Unconcerned even as Bokuto was angrily squawking about disturbing his focus, Akaashi kept his hand where it was on Bokuto's shoulder as he absently wiped the sweat from his jaw with the back of his other hand. Akaashi's eyes, which were already usually so focused and serious, were more determined than Bokuto had ever seen them and killed his words of annoyance as he fell silent under that intense gaze.

"Whatever happens, I'm not going to regret my decision." Akaashi's cryptic declaration was bookended by a sharp whistle that signaled the end of time out. With a quick squeeze to Bokuto's shoulder, Akaashi let his hand drop as he moved with the team back onto the court, his head held high and shoulders back with quiet confidence. Bokuto watched him go for a moment before his face broke out into a grin as he ran to catch up.

"All right, let's do this!" Bokuto led his team in a rallying cry as they got into position.

It was an amazing volley as neither team let up and did everything that they could to keep the ball up and get the chance for one more hit. It was borderline agony for their bodies that were trembling from overexertion but everyone continued to push their limits as they dove for the ball and leaped for the spikes and blocks.

Komi dove straight across the court, stretching his arms and fingers as far as they would go and made contact with just his fingertips to keep the ball in play. As the ball spiraled skyward and every muscle in Bokuto's body tensed in preparation, piercing blue eyes suddenly made direct contact with his and it only took a millisecond for Bokuto to understand. Legs were already running as Akaashi positioned himself. Coiled muscle released the stored energy to give Bokuto one last powerful jump right as Akaashi set the ball in his direction.

It would be the last ball that Bokuto would spike during his high school volleyball career as Fukurodani was beaten 15-9 in the fifth set of the National Tournament finals. Every single member fought their hardest and Akaashi made sure that they all kept their chins up as they lined back up, even tucking a finger under Bokuto's chin to gently coax it up so that he could see the tired, sad, but still encouraging smile on Akaashi's face. They thanked their opponent for a good game, bowed to and thanked their supporters, and then tiredly helped each other to the locker room.

Bokuto somehow lost track of Akaashi in the craziness that followed the game's end and spent a good while looking for him before finally stumbling across a quiet hallway away from the bustle of people where Akaashi was sat on a bench hunched over his knees with his shoulders shaking. Feeling his heart drop through his stomach as he realized that he'd never seen Akaashi cry before, Bokuto walked over to kneel down in front of his friend and reach his hands up to cradle that beautiful face and wipe away the warm tears.

"Hey, you were amazing today. We made it to the finals and that never would have happened without you." Bokuto's voice was soft as he carefully gathered the moisture leaking from sad blue eyes with his thumbs. "It's crazy, actually, how much you still manage to amaze me." A wet chuckle was Bokuto's reward as Akaashi lifted his head just enough to meet Bokuto's warm gaze. "You should be proud of yourself, Akaashi. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else on that court with me."

"Thank you, Bokuto-san." Akaashi sniffed a little as he relaxed into Bokuto's hands. A small smile was turning his downtrodden frown back up as his back began to straighten. "It's frustrating, of course, for everyone, but we did well and I am proud. I just…" Oh, wasn't that a lovely little blush that Akaashi couldn't hide due to his face still being held in Bokuto's hands. "Honestly, what really made me sad was realizing that that was our last match together."

"Aww, Akaashi!" Bokuto's heart was all mushy again as he threw his arms around Akaashi to squish him in a giant hug despite the token struggling. "You could just go to the same university as me if you want to keep playing volleyball with me that badly." He finally released Akaashi when he heard the exaggerated struggle to breathe turn into that squeaky laugh that he loved so much.

"Oh my god, Bokuto-san. I'm not that in love with you." The laughter in Akaashi's eyes slowly dimmed as they widened with the realization of what he'd just said. Gray blue and amber stared at each other in mirrored shock for a long minute as neither of them moved despite still being unusually close to each other by mere friends' standards.

"Which would imply," Bokuto spoke slowly, very carefully choosing his words. "That you're at least a little bit in love with me?"

Akaashi looked away, the blush on his cheeks back with a raging vengeance as he nervously gnawed on his bottom lip. Fingers, half of which had been firmly taped to keep Akaashi in the matches, were unconsciously twisting together like they did every time that Akaashi was unsure of himself. Bokuto now knew two things that could stop Akaashi's habit; the first being a volleyball placed in his hands, and the second being Bokuto's fingers twining with his as Bokuto's lips captured Akaashi's in a long, slow kiss.

* * *

Bokuto had a bounce in his step that was nearly a skip as he walked down deserted hallways that were as familiar to him as his childhood neighborhood. It had been a while since he'd been back but the way to the gym was as clear to him as if he'd just walked this path the day before. As the sound of shoes squeaking against wooden floors and volleyballs thumping against arms reached Bokuto's ears, his head perked a little higher and his steps moved a little faster.

Pushing open the door revealed the soothingly familiar atmosphere of an afternoon practice. People were running drills on both sides of the net as numerous volleyballs flew through the air along with shouts between teammates. Overseeing the team's practice with calculating blue eyes and his back to the door, Fukurodani's volleyball captain barely registered the door behind him opening until, "Akaashi!"

Akaashi's back stiffened as he instantly recognized that voice but didn't even have time to turn around before a hard chest rammed into his back and two muscular arms grabbed him around his midriff to bodily lift him off of the floor in a bear hug.

"Look at you being all commanding and captainy! You're so cool, Akaashi! Are you skinnier? Or is that muscle? I'm sure you've gotten a bit more muscle but you should still make sure you eat! Are you sleeping well at night? You look tired, Akaashi. You shouldn't let school stress you out so much. And are those my knee pads?! I knew I didn't lose them, you thieving, sentimental little-"

"Bokuto-san!" Akaashi shouted over Bokuto's rambling, a furious blush coloring his cheeks as he did his best to glare at Bokuto while still being crushed to his chest.

Blinking owlishly at his very irate boyfriend, Bokuto tilted his head to glance past Akaashi and see multiple pairs of eyes staring back at him. The second and third years who had already experienced the insanity that was Bokuto and Akaashi were all grinning happily at the familiar scene. The new first years, on the other hand, were staring in startled bewilderment at this strange guy comfortably manhandling their captain.

"Bokuto-san, please put me down." The forced calm in Akaashi's voice was betrayed by the twitch in his left eye, but neither deterred Bokuto's mood as he planted a big kiss on Akaashi's cheek before obediently placing his feet back on the ground. With a forceful smack to Bokuto's shoulder, Akaashi resolutely turned back to his team who, upon seeing the look on his face, immediately went back to their practice.

Somewhat placated, Akaashi crossed his arms in satisfaction and even allowed Bokuto to sidle up next to him before leaning his hip into Bokuto's as they observed the team's movements. Affording himself a quick sideways glance at Bokuto, Akaashi let a tiny smirk quirk the corner of his lips as he commented, "they look better on me, anyways."

* * *

"Still can't believe your parents left you alone on your birthday" Bokuto entered Akaashi's room fresh from the bath, still idly toweling his hair dry. Akaashi had bathed first while Bokuto cleaned up after their dinner and was now lounged on his bed lazily browsing the internet on his phone. Bokhooto, dressed in one of Bokuto's old jerseys, was serving as Akaashi's lounging pillow and crazily enough Bokuto felt a jab of jealousy over the fact that the stuffed owl got to sleep and cuddle his boyfriend more often than he did.

"They had to go help my grandma clean her house up, they'll be back in a couple of days." Akaashi shrugged as he set his phone down and rolled over onto his back as Bokuto joined him on the bed. "You complaining?" A dark eyebrow rose in challenge.

"Hell no." Bokuto happily took the blatant invitation to straddle Akaashi's waist and settle himself into a warm, needy kiss.

They relaxed their bodies so that they melted into each other as hands freely roamed. One of Akaashi's hands went up the back of Bokuto's shirt while the other went down the back of his shorts to unhurriedly knead at the firm muscle. Bokuto had his fingers tangled in Akaashi's soft as silk hair and tugging with just enough pressure to make his boyfriend moan and allow him to deepen their kiss. Licking languidly into Akaashi's willing mouth, taking his time to savor the feeling of soft lips against his, Bokuto suddenly pulled away when he felt something dig into his chest.

"What was-" he pulled Akaashi's shirt up and froze at the black metal piercing Akaashi's left nipple, starkly noticeable against Akaashi's pale skin. "Damn, Keiji." Bokuto's brain was so fried that it was a miracle he managed to string any coherent words together as he stared at that little entrancing object.

"Knew you'd like it." Akaashi grinned, sitting up along with Bokuto to pull his shirt completely off. "It's still a little sore, but if you're gentle I'll let you play with it." One of Akaashi's hands found Bokuto's and guided it up to the pierced nipple that Bokuto just could not take his eyes off of.

The metal was a little cooler than Akaashi's heated skin and Bokuto was extra mindful to be careful as he slowly rolled the hardening nipple between two fingers. The softness of Akaashi's nipple was offset by the solid metal bumping into the fingers teasing it and the contrast had Bokuto hypnotized.

"Fuck." Akaashi let out a low groan as he dropped his head forward to latch onto the side of Bokuto's neck, his teeth and lips silently encouraging Bokuto to keep doing what he was doing. Fingers bit firmly into Bokuto's hips to pull them against Akaashi's and force their rapidly forming erections together. Identical moans were drawn from their throats as the friction between their bodies shot waves of pleasure through them. Lips and tongue traded places with Bokuto's fingers to elicit a gasping moan that shuddered through Akaashi's entire body. Arching into the sensation, fingers tightly tangled in silver hair for some kind of physical anchor, Akaashi let out a breathy huff of a laugh as he gazed down into lust filled eyes that were intently watching the emotions playing across his face. "Fuck, Koutarou, you could make me cum just from this."

Akaashi had zero shame and no filter in bed, Bokuto had been shocked to learn when they'd first started fooling around, and it had the ability to turn Bokuto's libido up from zero to infinity in an instant. No one would believe that polite, well mannered Akaashi turned into a kinky vixen in the bedroom, but that was a secret that Bokuto wasn't sharing with anyone.

"Hm… do I need to make you cum first? Have you been neglecting your body's needs, captain?" Bokuto released Akaashi's nipple just enough to tease the words around the aroused nub. The hot breath washing over his super sensitive nipple mixed with his boyfriend's words shot a fresh jolt of pleasure through Akaashi that pulled his head back with a throaty moan.

"Yes, I've been taking care of myself, and you know this." The pointed look made Bokuto grin in triumph. Akaashi had been opposed to phone sex until he actually tried it, and damn did having a needy, breathless voice in his ear telling him all the things Bokuto wanted to do to him while he touched himself serve as a decent substitute for the actual person. "What about you?" Akaashi leaned back a bit before nodding towards their crotches.

"I'll be okay." Bokuto's voice was absent as he lightly ran his fingers over the obvious outline of Akaashi's hard cock through his tiny little sleeping shorts. "Exams, Kuroo being a pain, Oikawa being a princess, none of that was going to make me ruin this." Akaashi loved it when that predatory gleam appeared in Bokuto's eye, it was a sure sign that he was in for a good long bout of sexy that usually left him hoarse and sated for days.

"I'm sure they think that you're a pain in the ass, too." Akaashi's teasing laugh was cut short as Bokuto's hand slid into his shorts and wrapped firmly around his shaft before slowly dragging from base to tip.

"How about I be a pain in your ass tonight?" There was a finger teasing Akaashi's leaking slit, which elicited a loud groan that drowned out any kind of snarky retort he may have had for the husky suggestion whispered in his ear.

Finding Bokuto's lips again, Akaashi's hands that had not yet disentangled from soft silver held Bokuto in place as harsh, needy kisses alternated with sharp nips and gentle suckles to turn both of their lips a wet cherry red. Bokuto's hand was still languidly stroking Akaashi's cock as he melted into those kisses, happily letting Akaashi dominate him to the point where his mind was a foggy disaster and all he could focus on was drowning in heat and desire.

"Kou, I wanna suck you." Akaashi's voice was tinged with a desperate whine as he licked a searing line up Bokuto's throat that stopped at the sensitive spot just under his ear. "Can I put you in my mouth, Bokuto-san? Please?"

The growl that tore through Bokuto's chest would have alarmed him if he wasn't so damn turned on. Shoving Akaashi forcefully back, it was time for Bokuto to take a moment of control and teach his shameless boyfriend to be prepared for the consequences of riling him up by using that innocent voice to say dirty things. Covering Akaashi's body with his, Bokuto reinitiated their kiss by shoving his tongue into an obediently waiting mouth that began sucking on the invading muscle much like it would soon be doing to the painfully throbbing appendage between Bokuto's legs.

Having his hands held down above his head in a bruising hold while hips mercilessly ground down against his only made Akaashi moan louder around the tongue occupying his mouth. Pleading whimpers were all that Akaashi could manage with Bokuto plundering his mouth and there was next to no room for him to move with Bokuto's full weight pinning him down. He was completely at his boyfriend's mercy and he loved it.

"I'll let you suck me if I get to suck you." Bokuto punctuated his offer with a hard bite to Akaashi's naked shoulder that made the smaller teen cry out as his hips jerked upwards.

"Holy fuck, Kou, I have to get changed in the locker room, you know." Despite Akaashi's admonishment he tilted his head to give Bokuto's teeth more skin to mark as a hand slid encouragingly down Bokuto's back. "You possessive bastard." Laughing, Akaashi sat them back up so that he could divest Bokuto of his shirt and pointedly place Bokhooto on the floor facing away from the bed. There were just some things that stuffed owls did not need to see.

Moving Bokuto to lay on his back, Akaashi made quick work of shimmying his boyfriend's shorts off before tossing his own pair on the floor after. Moaning appreciatively at Akaashi's naked body earned Bokuto a flirty wink before Akaashi turned around. Reaching up with his hands to help position Akaashi's hips above him, Bokuto had to only lift his head a little to slip the flushed tip of Akaashi's cock between his lips before sucking as much of his length down in one go as he could.

Warm thickness and a burst of saltiness in his mouth made a moan vibrate all the way down his throat and into his chest as he began to suck. Cocksucking was not an act that Bokuto had ever seen himself doing before, never mind enjoying as much as he did. Maybe it was just because it was Akaashi's cock he was sucking on. It was an artform that Bokuto was still learning as he experimented with the pressure he used, the spots he swiped his tongue over, the amount of saliva he applied, and- and it would be a lot easier for him to practice his technique if his mind wasn't short circuiting from the feeling of Akaashi's mouth on him.

Akaashi liked playing a game when they sucked each other off where he would copy whatever Bokuto did to him, which in an odd perverse way sort of made it feel like Bokuto was blowing himself. Then Akaashi would do that twisty thing with his tongue and hum just right to break the game. A stab of searing heat hit Bokuto's gut before it pooled out, coating every one of his nerves as he moaned around the length in his mouth. Deciding that if Akaashi wanted to change the game then so would he, Bokuto nudged Akaashi's hips up so that he could slip his mouth off of Akaashi's shaft and readjust.

A drawn out gasp of pleasured approval pulled Akaashi off of Bokuto as he glanced over his shoulder with lust lidded eyes to see Bokuto's hands, one on each of his buttocks, spreading him open so that Bokuto could easily give a long swipe of his tongue over Akaashi's hole. Previous task momentarily forgotten, Akaashi let his eyes flutter closed as nerve endings in his most private of areas were set aflame. Without conscious thought, Akaashi felt his hips start undulating against the warmth of Bokuto's tongue as it laved molten desire along sensitive skin and he vaguely registered his throat making little mewls of pleasure that seemed to spur Bokuto on even more.

Bokuto took his time licking around Akaashi's hole, swirling teasingly around it and ever so slightly probing his tongue inside as he let his saliva coat the area and begin to lubricate the tight channel he would soon be delving into. Where Bokuto was still unsure of his prowess with a cock in his mouth, the keening sounds Akaashi made along with the uncontrollable trembling of his hips whenever Bokuto paid attention to his hole assured Bokuto that he was at the very least good at this. Whimpers quickly morphed into demanding whines as steel blue eyes, darkened by the charged sensations assaulting Akaashi's body, locked onto Bokuto's and silently begged for more.

More than happy to give Akaashi what he wanted, Bokuto gave his twitching hole one last broad swipe of tongue before surging up and slipping his tongue into Akaashi's tight heat in one fluid motion. A strangled cry and full body spasm that Bokuto could feel from where his hands were firmly, lovingly holding onto Akaashi's hips were the sweetest reward that that older teen could ever receive. Keeping Akaashi positioned right where he wanted him, Bokuto began to mercilessly plunge his tongue in and out of Akaashi's channel as it clenched and relaxed around him. An endless litany of beautiful pleasured sounds began to fall from Akaashi's parted lips as his back arched gracefully above Bokuto in response to the curling and twisting of the tongue inside him.

"Kou…" Akaash's gasping, breaking voice made Bokuto's already painfully hard cock twitch violently against his lower belly. Opening eyes that he couldn't remember closing, Bokuto took a breath to marvel at the flushed, wrecked beauty above him that was Akaashi Keiji and it took every single ounce of his willpower to not orgasm right then and there. "Please, I need…" Akaashi's breathless plead was cut short by a sob as Bokuto's tongue found that overly sensitive bundle of nerves inside him. Akaashi had his hands braced on Bokuto's thighs, gripping so tight that Bokuto could already feel the bruises he'd have tomorrow as he watched his boyfriend's proud head bow in submission. "I need…"

Bokuto had Akaashi flipped on his back so fast that both of their heads were left spinning and they found themselves snared in a heated kiss that was equal parts desperate and filthy as Akaashi tangled his tongue with Bokuto's to taste himself. Akaashi's hips had instantly spread to bring Bokuto into their cradle and they now rutted against each other as their kiss refused to break and their fingers dug into whatever part of each other they could reach, trying in vain to pull the other even closer than they already were.

"I've got you, baby. Always will." Bokuto promised, breaking off the soft gasp his words elicited with a gentle, quick kiss before he moved his lips back down to the pierced nipple he'd been so fascinated with before. As he took the metal pierced nub between his lips again, Bokuto reached for the tube of lube he knew Akaashi kept in his nightstand.

Coating his shaft and slipping two lubed up fingers into Akaashi's already half-prepped hole took Bokuto little to no time, and before they could get impatient again they were kissing once more as Bokuto slid agonizingly slowly into Akaashi. All the breath in their bodies fled in a drawn out exhale only to be replaced by the other's breath, they were so close to each other. When Bokuto felt himself fully sheathed he had to pause for a moment, grasping at the fraying edges of his emotions as they threatened to unravel within him from the overwhelming physical sensations. Burying his face in the side of Akaashi's neck, wrapping his arms just this side of too tight around Akaashi's chest, digging his fingers just a bit too hard into Akaashi's back, Bokuto felt his breath and his very being stuttering in his chest as he held on for dear life.

Gentle fingers, long and slim and so achingly familiar, pushed Bokuto's hair back from his forehead so that a lingering kiss full of endless love and understanding could be pressed in its place. Lips traveled downwards from where they started, pressing slow kisses all the way down Bokuto's nose before coming to an end embracing Bokuto's.

"Love me, Koutarou." The words were barely more than a breath escaping from Akaashi's lips before they were captured by Bokuto's and transported to his lungs where they filled the entirety of the cavernous space beside his thudding heart.

"Always."

* * *

It was the sunshine that roused Bokuto from sleep, showing itself to the world earlier and earlier as the seasons changed and the weather turned warm. Closed eyes squinted against the light assaulting their lids, his still dreaming conscious fighting against waking up as he turned his head further into his pillow with a snuffle. Warmth, even warmer than the light of a giant molten star light years away that gave life to the planet, bumped up against Bokuto's nose as he attempted to escape his body's already initiated process of waking up. Amber eyes opened slowly without a morsel of the resignation that would have normally been there when awoken against their will. Blurry vision cleared with a few lethargic blinks before it focused on the slumbering face tucked into the pillow beside Bokuto's.

It had been years of schooling, exam stress, long distance sadness, late night phone calls, and occasional stretches of silence that felt like they lasted forever. It had been months of worrying about what to do after college, wondering if they were making the right choice both for themself and for each other. It had been moments of anger, breaths of resentment, pinpricks of doubt, and drawn out beats of peace stolen in the torrential downpour of reality as they lay in bed wrapped up in each other and ignored the rest of the world for as long as they could.

Even after all that time, the years and the months and the moments, Bokuto was still nowhere close to being tired of waking up to find Akaashi beside him. Wrapped up in their covers that Bokuto sometimes had to wrestle a share of in the middle of the night, Akaashi was never more than the stretch of a finger's length away when Bokuto woke up.

"It is too early for you to be awake, Bokuto-san. It's Saturday." Akaashi's voice was low and muzzy with sleep, his eyes still closed as his body shifted into temporary motion before relaxing back into the mattress with a contented sigh.

Bokuto felt his heart goo up at Akaashi's sleepy voice as seeing the play of sunlight on Akaashi's long lashes made him feel like a giddy schoolgirl with a crush. Everything about Akaashi right after he woke up was just… perfect. From his grumpy rough voice to the way the morning light caressed every curve and angle of his matured body, it was all perfect. It was a fact that Akaashi's body was older, harder, a bit broader, a bit more muscular, and a bit wearier. Akaashi had grown and settled into his early adulthood with all the poise and grace that Bokuto had expected, but in the early hours of the morning under pale sunlight he was once again the soft, wide-eyed middle schooler that Bokuto had first laid eyes on all those years ago. Early mornings on days when neither of them had anywhere to be were definitely Bokuto's favorite as he drank in the sight of the man that he'd never stop falling for.

There was just one aspect of Akaashi in that moment that made Bokuto frown unhappily. Pulling Akaashi's sleep heavy body into his arms, Bokuto delivered a sharp nip to the side of Akaashi's pale throat to get those captivating eyes to finally open and glare at his pouting face.

"Keiji." Bokuto whined, bumping their noses together and causing Akaashi's to scrunch up in confusion. "We've been dating for years now, stop calling me Bokuto-san!"

"When you're awake too early on a Saturday after I've had a week straight out of hell, you are Bokuto-san." Akaashi countered, pinching Bokuto's side to emphasize his displeasure before cuddling into Bokuto's chest and closing his eyes with all intents of going back to sleep for a few hours. Relaxing his body to curl protectively around Akaashi's, Bokuto became silent with serious thought.

"We should just make your name Bokuto Keiji, then you'd have to call me by my given name." Bokuto's voice was filled with its usual cheery cockiness but on the inside he could feel himself trembling with uncertainty.

"Hmm." Akaashi hummed absently, burrowing his face even more snugly against Bokuto's chest. "Better yet, make you Akaashi Koutarou, then you wouldn't be able to screech my name across a public space. Still can't believe you still do that." His voice was now muffled and all Bokuto could see of him was the top of his head.

"That's fine, I love calling you Keiji." Bokuto grinned as he dropped a kiss on his boyfriend's hair.

A grumble of discomfort and a readjustment of Akaashi's position in Bokuto's hold was the prelude to his reluctant mumble of, "Akaashi Koutarou sounds good, but I like Bokuto Keiji more." His voice was drifting, as if he himself were on the cusp of dreamland once more, but his words made the biggest smile spread across Bokuto's face as he tightened his arms around Akaashi.

"We should have the wedding in the spring, at that botanical garden we went to the summer after you graduated. Remember how much you loved the irises they were growing? We could do a white and lavender theme, unless you're still into your sky blue thing. Not too many guests because I know how much you don't like big crowds, but just close family and friends. We should do paper lantern centerpieces for the table, or little fish bowls with floating candles. I've seen so many cool fish bowl ideas on Pinterest. Kuroo could officiate for us, I'm sure he'd get ordained if we asked him to. He'd also drag Kenma to the wedding so we'd be sure he'd make it that way." Bokuto was rambling, his voice soft but his eyes even softer as they gazed down at Akaashi's peacefully sleeping face, his hand rubbing gentle circles into Akaashi's back.

"Sounds wonderful, Koutarou." Akaashi attempted the words but they came out as more of a clump of incoherent garble. Even so, Bokuto caught the gist of it and felt his smile become impossibly wider.

"So, do you want your ring now or later after you've woken up again?"

It took a long few heartbeats for Bokuto's words to register, and he could distinctly see in Akaashi's face the moment that they did because those closed lids flashed open in an instant to pin Bokuto down with a piercing stare that held not a trace of drowsiness.

"Kou… what…?"

Disentangling his arms from around Akaashi, Bokuto reached under their bed to where he'd stowed one of his old gym bags and came back up with a small ring box in his hand.

"Your ring, future Bokuto Keiji. Do you want it now or later?"


End file.
